Report a Problem

If you need to report a problem it can be a challenge to work out who to report it to. This is made much more difficult in Wixams as our town is split between two local authorities, two electoral wards and four civil parishes. To help you we have put together this page with the contact details for all councils and representatives covering Wixams. You can use this in conjunction with the Democratic Maps page or the Wixams Interactive Map to work out exactly who to contact for your issue.

Member of Parliament (MP)

Your MP represents you in the UK Parliament and can help with matters involving central government departments and national policy. You may wish to contact your MP about:

  • Immigration and visa issues
  • Benefits administered by central government agencies
  • Problems with government departments or agencies
  • National legislation and government policy
  • Healthcare concerns involving NHS policy or unresolved issues with public bodies
  • Matters affecting you that cannot be resolved locally

Please note that MPs do not usually deal with issues that are the responsibility of parish councils or local authorities unless other routes have already been exhausted.

All of Wixams town is within the Mid Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency. Since the 2023 general election the Member of Parliament for the Mid Bedfordshire constituency is the Rt Hon Blake Stephenson MP (Conservative). Blake has his own website which includes news and contact details: www.blakestephenson.uk

Local Authority

There are two local authorities for Wixams: Bedford Borough Council and Central Bedfordshire Council. The local authority is responsible for delivering a wide range of public services. You should contact the council directly about:

  • Bin collections, recycling, and waste services
  • Roads, potholes, pavements, and street lighting
  • Council housing and homelessness support
  • Planning applications and building control
  • Environmental health issues such as noise complaints
  • Parks, public spaces, and leisure services
  • Licensing, parking enforcement, and local taxation
  • Benefits and council tax matters

Bedford Borough Council

The current Mayor of Bedford Borough is Tom Wootton (Conservative) who has been in the role since 2009. He is a ‘directly elected’ mayor which means he has an executive position on the council as well as ceremonial duties. The first recorded reference to a Mayor of Bedford was in 1264!

Central Bedfordshire Council

Similar to most unitary authorities, Central Beds does not have an elected mayor position and the council leader is selected from the councillors.

Ward Councillor

Both Bedford Borough and Central Beds are split down into electoral divisions called ‘Wards’. Each ward is represented by one or more elected councillor(s) who sits on the council and can also be a member(s) of various council committees and sub-committees. Ward councillors can help residents raise concerns with the council and other public bodies. You may wish to contact your councillor about:

  • Problems that have not been resolved through normal council channels
  • Local issues affecting your neighbourhood
  • Planning applications and developments in your area
  • Road safety concerns, parking issues, and traffic management
  • Environmental issues such as litter, fly-tipping, or anti-social behaviour
  • Concerns about council services

Bedford Borough

In 2021 the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) published the new ward boundaries for Bedford Borough and there was a significant change. Wixams is now part of a larger ward which includes Wilstead, Elstow, Stewartby and Kempston Hardwick.

If you live in Wixams and in Bedford Borough, you are part of the Wixams & Wilstead ward. It has three councillors who sit on Bedford Borough Council:

Central Bedfordshire

If you live in Wixams and in Central Beds, you are part of the Houghton Conquest & Haynes ward which has one councillor who sits on Central Beds council:

Parish Council

Wixams is spread across four civil parishes, three in Bedford Borough and one in Central Beds, each administered by its own parish council. Parish councils deal with very local community matters and represent the interests of residents at a neighbourhood level. You may wish to contact your parish council about:

  • Suggestions for improving local amenities
  • Community facilities such as village halls, playgrounds, sports pitches, and allotments
  • Local events and community activities
  • Public benches, noticeboards, and some local open spaces
  • Concerns affecting your village or parish community

Bedford Borough

Central Beds